From War to Peace…

This week we enter significant few days where we reflect on the conversion of a military headquarters, the life of a soldier-turned-saint, and one of the biggest human memorials of them all – Armistice Day.

NOVEMBER 9th is a memorial day for a building, THE LATERAN BASILICA.

This building was originally a fort built in 193AD as a top Roman military headquarters. This is where the Roman Empire’s finest soldiers, Caesar’s personal guards, lived and trained. Around the year 300AD, it became the first Christian Cathedral and the new home of the Pope. In 324AD it was officially dedicated as a ‘House of God’ which is the memorial we celebrate on November 9th.

What we also celebrate is God’s victory over the oppressive violence of military empire – something that we should continue to pray for especially as we remember Armistice Day later this week. This building, which was built as a shrine to violence, became and remains to this day, a temple of the Prince of Peace, Jesus.

Let us pray for an end to war and all violence and conflict on our streets, in our homes, and within our hearts as we pray: Our Father…

Think: What is your home a ‘temple’ of? What is worshipped there? God? TV? Xbox? Family?